AN HOMAGE TO STAGE MOTHERS

Stage mothers really have a bad rep, but is it deserved? I'm not so sure.  The fact is that an awful lot of talented people in the past started doing what they were famous for when they were five, if not sooner.  Think of Buster Keaton who lived his whole life on the stage and in front of the camera. Look at what he achieved. Could he have done that if he'd started at age 23 like college grads do today? 

Of course, starting early requires focus and that requires a pushy adults. Ditto for getting good work habits. That's why we need stage mothers.  You don't want a mother who nags, and bullies, but you do want one that pushes you.  I'm not talking about school work, I'm limiting this discussion to  professions like music and dancing, auto mechanics, art, etc which can be learned by watching skilled people and practicing, which is the natural way that kids learn. 

A few stage mothers in the entertainment industry are famous, and so far as I know were loved by their children: Minnie Marx, mother-manager of The Marx Brothers;  Jaid Barrymore, mother of Drew; Gertrude Temple, who managed Shirley and spent hours every day curling her kid's hair; and Judy Garland's mom Ethel Gumm, just to name a few.  Where did this myth come from that all stage mothers are evil (Gary Goldman's dad, notwithstanding)?

Stage mothers of the world, this toast is for you.  You gave your kids the gift of a trade, of a chance to  practice their profession while they were still young enough to innovate and develop a passion for it.  Good for you!

Er...is that woman above really female? She looks a little odd. 

I couldn't resist throwing this in (above): Judy Garland singing "Texas Tornado" in a completely professional manner when she was only 14.  She could do that because her mother arranged for her to learn how to sing while she was still in the egg shell.



Haw! Stephen Rodgers' ably answered my argument with this song (above) by Noel Coward.  I have to admit that it makes a powerful argument, but I'm not ready to admit defeat. I was hoping to score on a larger point, namely that people nowadays begin careers too late in life.

To make a big impact you have to start early, so you can turn professional when you're young enough to pour lots of energy and idealism into what you do.  Stage mothers add a bit of balance to a school system that wastes youth.

I wish we still had Vaudeville, or an updated version of it. Talentless performers would get weeded out pretty fast if they had to play  before live audiences that paid for their tickets.